ABSTRACT
The goal of acute/critical care is to support the patient during their illness and conserve life as far as possible. Sometimes, these actions contribute to the patient’s discomfort, pain and anxiety (Pattison, 2005). Hospital admission within itself can be a highly stressful experience for both patient and their family. Combined with the effects of acute/critical illness detrimental consequences on physiological and psychological well-being occur. Such psychological disturbances can have a long-term effect and been linked to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Cuthbertson et al., 2004; Jones et al., 2005). Much of the literature pertaining to the psychological needs of patients originate from the intensive care environment. However, the characteristics of acute/critical illness will be the same wherever the patient is located (DOH, 2000a). A great deal can be learnt from the experiences of intensive care nurses. This chapter identifies the types of psychological disturbances that patients can develop and discusses appropriate preventative measures.
